Sub-nanometer-sized gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) were prepared via the spontaneous reduction of [AuCl
4]
−- ions with a hydroxamate derivative of
L-tryptophan (Trp) natural amino acid (TrpHA). The prepared TrpHA-Au NCs possess intense blue emission (λ
em = 470 nm;
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Sub-nanometer-sized gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) were prepared via the spontaneous reduction of [AuCl
4]
−- ions with a hydroxamate derivative of
L-tryptophan (Trp) natural amino acid (TrpHA). The prepared TrpHA-Au NCs possess intense blue emission (λ
em = 470 nm; λ
ex = 380 nm) with a 2.13% absolute quantum yield and 1.47 ns average lifetime. The Trp-stabilized noble metal NCs are excellent metal ion sensors for Fe
3+, but in this work, we highlighted that the incorporation of the hydroxamate functional group with an excellent metal ion binding capability can tune the selectivity and sensitivity of these NCs, which is a promising way to design novel strategies for the detection of other metal ions as well. Moreover, their simultaneous identification can also be realized. By decreasing the sensitivity of our nano-sensor for Fe
3+ (limit of detection (LOD) ~11 µM), it was clearly demonstrated that the selectivity for Cu
2+-ions can be significantly increased (LOD = 3.16 µM) in an acidic (pH = 3–4) condition. The surface-bounded TrpHA molecules can coordinate the Cu
2+ confirmed by thermodynamic data, which strongly generates the linking of the NCs via the Cu
2+ ions in acidic pH, and a parallel fluorescence quenching occurs. In the case of Fe
3+, the degree of quenching strongly depends on the metal ion concentration, and it only occurs when the NCs are not able to bind more Fe
3+ (~10 µM) on the surface, causing the NCs’ aggregation.
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